Axle-lubricator



Y (No Model.)

Y No. 505,124.

` 1*..PETTEPHER- XLE LUBRIGATR.

u Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

" IIIIIIIIIII|IIIIIIIIIlllllllllillllllllllmIIIIIIHIIHIIIIIIllllllllllllilllllllll||| I ff il UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANK PETTEPHER, MARSHFIELD, ASSIGN OR OE ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE STRAIGHT, OE EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

AX-LE-LU BRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,124, dated September 19, 1893.

Application filed January 16, 1898. Serial No. 45 8,465. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK PETTEPHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshiield, in the county of Wood and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Axle- Lubricator, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and effective lubricator for xo axles which will operate automatically to feed the lubricant to the bearing while the axle is in motion and to check the same when the movement ceases.

Myinvention is designed for use, especially, in connection with railway coaches, cars, en-

gines, the., to obviate the necessity of frequent oiling and provide for extended runs Without personal attention.

Furtherobjectsand advantages of my invenzo tion will appear as the nature of the invention becomes more fully understood, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse 2 5 sectional view of the journal, upon line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the journal upon line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in perspective, of the governor and valves, detached. Fig. 4 is a 3o detail view of the gage, detached.

A represents the journal-cavity in the door of which is formed the bearing-seat B, and C represents the cap or block whose concave under-surface fits the upper side of the axle D which bears upon the seat B.

The journal-cavity is separated from the superjacent oil-chamber E by an interposed horizontal partition F, whose upper surface, which forms the floor of the oil-chamber, is

4o beveled or declines toward its center, the lowest point thereof being in a line parallel with and vertically above the axis of the axle D. Feed-openings G are formed in the partition F, at its lowest point, or at the intersection of 4 5 the beveled surfaces of the floor, such beveled surfaces being indicated in the drawings at f f, and around the upper ends of said feedopenings G are formed the valve-seats H.

K K represent twin revoluble valves or 5o balls, (this being the number illustrated in the drawings, although a greater or less nurnber may be employed to snit the requirementsd of the particular journal to which my improvement may be applied,) which are provided with diametrical bearings la 7c fitted 55 upon the reducedends of a horizontal rod or cross-head L, the reduction of the ends of such rod or cross-head to enter the bearings in the valves or balls forming shoulders lo k to prevent the inward movement of said 6o valves.

M represents the governor, Whose stem, N, is arranged vertically in the oil-chamber with its lower end stepped in a socket n in the door of the same and whose upper end extends through a perforation 'n' in the roof ofl the oil-chamber in vertical alignment with the socket. This stem is firmly attached, at an intermediate point to the center of the l'uorizontal rod or cross-head L, being preferably 7o arranged in a central aperture n therein, whereby the rotation of said stem is communicated to the rod or cross-head. The stem projects at its upper end through and above the roof of the oil-chamber and is bent to form 7 5 an arm M', angular in shape, having a lhorizontal portion m, parallel with the rod or cross-head, and a vertical portion m rising from the outer or free end of said horizontal portion, and to this angular arm is firmly at- 8o tached a wing N which is thus held in a vertical position, parallel with the rod or crosshead.

Mounted in a longitudinal bearing O,in the partition F is a gage P, provided at its outer end with a handle Q, this gage comprising a cylindrical body-portion provided at intervals corresponding with the intervals between the feed-openings in the floor of the oil-chamber with transverse oil-passages qq, 9o and the cap or block is provided, at similar intervals with corresponding vertical perforations q q. When the gage is turned so that its oil-passages q register with the perforations q and the feed-openings G, the oil, if not shut off by the valves or balls K will flow to the bearing, and if said gage is turned so that its passages are arranged horizontally,

or out of registration with said perforations and feed-openings, the flow of oil will be checked. Access to the handle of the gage may be gained by opening the flap-door R in the outer end of the journal-box.

The arrangement of the wing of' the governor parallel with the axis of the axle causes it to normally stand at right angles or transverse to the direction of movement of the coach, car, locomotive, or other vehicle to` which it is attached. io The valves or balls are held by gravity upon the lfloor of the oil-chamber, the downwardly inclined opposite surfaces ff of which causing the same to automatically seek their respective seats, which, as above described, are r 5 located at the lowest point of the floor. Thus, when the car or oth er vehicle is at rest, and the parts are in their normal positions, the valves or balls occupy their seats, thus closing the feed-openings and checking the ow 2o of the lubricant to the bearing. On the other hand, when the vehicle is in motion the backward pressure of the air upon the wing of the governor, caused by the forward movement of the vehicle and the resistance offered by the atmosphere through which the wing passes, represses the latter, thereby turning the rod or cross head L and removing the valves from theirseats. I/Vhen removed from their seats the valves ride upward upon the 3o inclined surfaces of the floor of the oil-chamber and are thus held during the continuance of movement of the vehicle, during which time the oil is allowed to iiow through the feed-openings to the bearing, and when the 3 5 Vehicle comes to rest the valves automatically seek their seats and said How of oil is stopped. Hence, when the axle is in motion, and needs oil, the latter is fed thereto continuously, and when the motion of the axle 4o ceases the flow of foil is immediately checked,

thus avoiding waste of the lubricant and enabling the amount of material contained in the oil-chamber to perform the maximum amount of service. The gage is employed to stop the flow of lubricant permanently.

Changes in form proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, and I reserve the right to make such changes within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire `to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is l. In a journal box for vehicles,an oil chamber provided with a feed opening, a rotatable stem provided with an exterior arm carrying a lateral wing and having a lateral arm withi in the oilchamber, a valve revolubly mounted 6o upon said arm to closethe feed opening, and

means to return the valve to its closed position after deliection by the wing, substantially as specified.

2. In a journal box for vehicles, an oil chamber having a feed opening in its iioor,agravi 65 tating valve arranged to close said feed opening, and a rotatable stem having an arm con nectedto said valve and provided with an exterior arm bearing a lateral wing,substan tially as specified. l 7o 3. In a journal box for vehicles, an oil cham- A ber having feed-openings in its floor, a revoluble cranked stem having the cranked portion M', a wing secured to the vertical portion of the crank in the plane thereof, lateral arms 7 5 fixed to the portion of the stem within the oil chamber in the plane of said crank-arm and wing, and gravitati-ng valves revolubly mounted upon said arms, substantiallyl as' i specified. 8o

4. The combination with ajournal-box pro vided with an oil-chamber having a beveled door provided at its lowest point with feedopenings communicating with the bearing, ofl valves resting upon the floor of the oil-charn-Y 8 5 ber and adapted to normally close said feed# j openings, andra governor rotatably mounted i Y in suitable bearings in the oil-chamber, connected to said valves and provided with a wing to receive atmospheric pressure, subf 9o stantially as specified.

5. `The combination with ajournal box, and a superjacent oil chamber connected tothe interior of said box by communicating feedopenings, of a gage rotatably fitted in a cylin.- drical casing between said journal boxand oil chamber, intersecting the said feed-openings and provided with passages adapted to register with such feed-openings, whereby the iowof oil from the oil chamber tothe interior of .roo Y the box may be positively cut olf, substan tially as specified.

6. The combination with a journal-box and Y an oil-chamber communicating .therewith through feed-openings `and .having an oppositely beveled floor, of revoluble valves or balls adapted to fit in valve seats at the lupper ends of said feed-openings, a rod or cross-A head carrying said valves or balls, and a governor connected to the rod or cross-head and.l iro. provided with means to turn the latter when` the axle is in motion, substantially as speci-vV lied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in` 1,14 5

the presence of two witnesses. n

- FRANK PETTEPHER.

Witnesses: i

FRANK A. GABY,y MATTIE E. ARMSTRONG. 

